GHA goes where the States cannot, says Housing minister

EXTRA care housing projects would be put at risk if the States had shouldered all the costs of the new social housing schemes, Housing minister Dave Jones has said.

He was responding to claims by fellow Vale deputy Matt Fallaize that the States had made a mistake focusing on the not-for-profit Guernsey Housing Association.

But Deputy Jones (pictured) stood by the association, stating that it could do what the States could not.

The association has borrowed about £80m. to cover the building of new social housing and partial ownership schemes, which include redevelopments of the Bouet and Sir John Leale Avenue.

The Housing Department offers grants of about 35% per project – including the value of the land – from the Corporate Housing Fund to the association. 'Had the States done all these new builds themselves the CHF would have been wiped out a couple of years ago and then some,' Deputy Jones said.